Call for “Conference Women in Caucasus: Politics of war, peace and violence” 2014

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

The Second Regional Conference held under general title “Caucasus Our
Common Home” will focus on the women’s role in war and peace in the
Caucasus. The conference will specifically examine methods of
pressure: political, religious, societal used against women during
military activities and after and will seek to find solutions. The
conference is seen as a forum for bringing concrete experiences women
have in the field and developing joint platform for cooperation for
peace and protection of women peace-makers. Both NGOs and
individuals are eligible to apply for participation. One organization
from each region of Caucasus is invited. The organizations and
individuals with long standing experience in peace and human rights in
their respective region are privileged. The two days’ meeting provides
creative environment to each participating organization to choose the
method of presentation they are interested in: panel discussion, master
class demonstration of methodologies, discussion in groups. Interested applicants have to fill in the application form (see below and on www.democracytoday.am)
and send it to organizers. For presenting papers at the Conference,
please, submit abstracts of 300-500 words. The selected participants’ participation cost, including airfare, roundtrip transportation, lodging and food will be covered. Others may be supported in arranging logistics for their trip. Invited
are women’s organizations from North and South Caucasus: Abkhazia,
Adjaria, Adygheya, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Chechnya, Dagestan, Georgia,
Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, Krasnodar Krai,
Stavropol Krai, and North Ossetia, Nagorno Karabakh and South Ossetia.Organized by “Democracy Today”, an Armenian NGO, (in cooperation with partner organizations
from Azerbaijan and Georgia, founding members of initiative “Women of
South Caucasus for Peace and Security in the Region: Peace Starts from
Your Home”), the Conference aims at developing new platforms of
cooperation and bringing women’s groups from entire Caucasus to
collaboration.The first regional conference in 2013 (Yerevan)
demonstrated large interest of Caucasus women for networking and
exchanging first-hand information about their own experiences. With new
cooperative platforms, women learn about each other’s’ work,
methodologies and achievements in promoting peace and human rights and
create network for further promotion.

BACKGROUND

Modern history of Caucasus, ethnically extremely diverse region, that
makes home for more than 50 ethnicities, has been marked with search
for identity in the new social and economic environment and political tensions and conflicts.The conflicts and wars that embarked in the region during the last two decades created numerous obstacles, ceasefire zones, brought to reshaping the concept of unity that was called earlier Caucasus, limiting opportunities for interrelation between the states and people and possibilities of integrated common regional vision for joint development. Women in the Caucasus, who have historically played important role in peace making and society building and reconciliation, seem to be invisible in these processes. There has been common
interest raised at the civil society level for the need of innovative
approaches to rethink the situation and need for common endeavor to work
together to build and integrated common home. It is necessary to have
larger vision for the region to provide hope, inclusive progress and
development. It is important to increase opportunities for direct
contacts and better knowing and understanding each other to develop
wider vision and sustainable peace. Women had and have important role in
building peace and education of their societies, their important
activities have to be supported and joined programs supporting,
empowering women have to be developed. The aim of the first meeting
organized by NGO from Armenia “Democracy Today” (in cooperation with partner organizations from Azerbaijan and Georgia, founding members of initiative “Women of South Caucasus for Peace and Security in the region”) is to develop new platform
of cooperation, will bring to collaboration women’s groups from entire
Caucasus and create network of women peace makers, the network they will
learn from each other , the network they will support and get
empowerment.